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Our team of expert outdoor educators and wilderness survival instructors are dedicated to empowering you with the skills and techniques needed to adventure into the wilderness with confidence. At The Survival University, we teach both the hard skills of wilderness training as well as leadership mindset and situational awareness. Our resident instructors are a dedicated team of professionals who provide a safe, fun and welcoming learning environment. We invite individuals of all levels of experience including youth & family as well as advanced outdoor professionals training for their next expedition.
Each of our instructors bring a unique set of skills and experience to our programs. We're proud to work with some of the best outdoor experts from around the country. We invite you to read below as we introduce the TSU Resident Instructors who have each attended our 50-Day Instructor & Wilderness Immersion Training Program.
WE'RE EXCITED TO WELCOME YOU TO THE SURVIVAL UNIVERSITY!
Jason Marsteiner
OWNER, FOUNDER OF THE SURVIVAL UNIVERSITY
Jason is the founder and lead instructor of Colorado Mountain Man Survival and The Survival University and a celebrated author of the must-have guidebook, "Wilderness Survival Guide - Practical Skills for the Outdoor Adventurer." Jason's extensive knowledge and expertise in all things survival have been honed over decades of experience in the wild, and he's dedicated his life to teaching others the skills and techniques needed to thrive in even the harshest environments. Whether you're a seasoned adventurer looking to up your game, or a complete newbie just starting out, Jason's proven methods and practical insights will help you become a true wilderness warrior. Join us on this epic journey and discover the secrets of survival from one of the best in the business!
TYLER MILLIGAN
OUTDOOR EDUCATOR & WILDERNESS SURVIVAL INSTRUCTOR
Tyler Dean Milligan is a 10-year Army Infantry veteran, a 100% disabled veteran, and a graduate of both the Sigma 3 45-day Instructor Course and The Survival University's 50-day immersion program. Featured as a survivalist on Discovery Channel and HBO Max, Tyler is also a post-apocalyptic author and professional circus acrobat, performing with his wife, Heather. Known for his humor and hands-on teaching style, Tyler’s immersive courses equip participants with essential survival skills while ensuring they have fun along the way.
JESS CALDWELL
OUTDOOR EDUCATOR & WILDERNESS SURVIVAL INSTRUCTOR
Get ready to immerse yourself in nature with Jess Caldwell, the founder of Wildkind Academy, based in Washington State. With a passion for partnering with nature, Jess offers courses in direct living skills including foraging, fishing, hunting, archery, and wilderness living, and believes in cultivating a greater reverence for our symbiotic relationship with all living things through hands-on experiential learning in the outdoors. As a certified Wilderness Survival Instructor through the TSU 50-day Advanced Woodsman program and Wilderness First Responder, Jess brings her expertise to the table along with her holistic health coaching certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Jess offers training in health optimization, nature awareness, seasonal connectivity, mindfulness, and resilience training, all with the goal of increased well-being and equanimity of mind. With Jess, you'll learn to thrive in the wilderness while also tapping into the healing power of nature.
"In this unique time, we are being called to live in greater communion with ourselves, humanity and the natural world. We can awaken our senses to engage life in a more meaningful way through the study of direct living skills and choosing to be a student of the outdoors. Welcome to a life of increased resiliency and simplicity where joy, strength, connection and wonderment awaits"
~ Wildkind Jess
Although Washington has been my home for the last 25 years, I spent my youth as a "free-range" kid living in Central Oregon where riding horses, building fires and venturing out on a trail surrounded by juniper and sage was a natural part of growing up. At age 14, I trekked the PCT from Oregon to Washington for a three-week expedition with Outward Bound and have been finding ways to engage the great outdoors with friends and family ever since. I spent a lot of time in the mountains throughout my life as a downhill ski racer and enjoy the winter months in the Pacific Northwest. I recently recently completed the winter survival training through TSU.
I have discovered that getting "offline" and immersed in the wonders of nature have been crucial for navigating modern stressors with more resiliency. As a parent of two teenage boys, I am well-versed in the many challenges that we all are facing as we consider the next generation and how our modern lifestyles can be detrimental to our mind, body, spirit and planet. In this unique and challenging time of uncertainty, there is freedom and expansiveness through both the inward journey of self-discovery and our personal engagement with the elements and natural world. These can be subtle explorations using the senses as well as hard skills that are available to anyone who has an interest.
Outdoor-based education and learning the basic hard skills that our Ancestors passed down throughout generations, help shift us out of convenient consumption and device addiction and into an integration with the natural world and greater self-reliance. Rewilding ourselves is at the very core of our primal nature. I have spent as much time as possible doing things differently than the current model of city-centric living. Read my Field Notes Blog to learn more about hunting, archery, fishing, foraging and direct living skills. I make connection and community a priority in my life and love being an educator with the opportunity to share and receive knowledge from others. As a certified Wilderness Survival Instructor who graduated the 50-day Advanced Woodsman Course through the Survival University, I am thrilled to partner with TSU to bring more class offerings to our expanding communities.
Although Wildkind Academy HQ is located in Washington, Jess Caldwell teaches courses throughout the western states and beyond. She graduated from Portland State University with a degree in Health & Fitness Promotion and has taught yoga and meditation for nearly 15 years. As an outdoor journalist (read her published articles here) as well as public speaker promoting the outdoor lifestyle featured on podcasts, radio and commercials, Jess is dedicated to sharing her knowledge with those who hear the call of the wild.
Certifications & Education
- 50 Day Advanced Woodsman Certification, The Survival University
- Certified Wilderness First Responder, Offgrid Medic
- Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Institute of Integrative Nutrition
- Certified Yoga & Mindfulness Instructor, Alive & Shine Wellness Center
- Bachelor of Science: Health & Wellness Promotion, Portland State University
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- INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION
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- WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER CERTIFICATION
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- NUTRITION HEALTH COACH CERTIFICATION
JASON NAUERT
SUSTAINABLE BUTCHER / FIELD GAME PROCESSING INSTRUCTOR
Prepare to be amazed by Jason Nauert, the mastermind behind the Rocky Mountain Institute of Meat. With a passion for the outdoors and a talent for butchering, Jason has dedicated his life to training the best of the best. He teaches military Special Forces across the nation how to skillfully process and cook game in the field, so they can sustain themselves on even the most challenging missions. Get ready to learn from the best in the business and become a true meat master with Jason Nauert.
Though he was born in Illinois Jason has called Colorado his home for 42 years. He grew up in the small town of Woodland Park in the foothills just west of Colorado Springs. Growing up in the foothills Jason had the mountains at his back door which meant he learned everything you could imagine about the outdoors including hunting. Jason has hunted wild game animals for most of his life and with hunting came butchering. Now at 45 he's been butchering animals for 35 years. With construction, law enforcement, landscaping and in a few kitchens as a teenager being the work he did growing up his butchering had come full circle in 2012.
Jason attended the butcher course offered by the Rocky Mountain Institute of Meat and never looked back. By fall of 2013 he left his full time job and pursued his dream of becoming a butcher. Having aligned himself with the ACF and his career taking off a year later in 2014 he was sought out by the Army with an interest in developing a field butchering program for healthier eating while deployed and career advancement back home. Now 4 years later Jason still trains the Army Special Forces and looks to expand into other branches of military in 2018.
Besides his work with the military Jason has had the pleasure of working with Celebrity Chef's like Graham Elliot, Sophina Uong, Rick Tramonto, Hosea Rosenberg and Fernando Ruiz just to name a few, Jason has been a been showcased at food & wine events across the country showing off his butchery and cooking skills.
Tanner Morrison
OUTDOOR EDUCATOR & WILDERNESS SURVIVAL INSTRUCTOR
ARCHERY INSTRUCTOR
Tanner's mission is to lay down a solid foundation of safety and proficiency for hunters, archers, and outdoor enthusiasts alike. He's on a mission to unite the worlds of hunting and primitive skills by sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience. With a sharp eye and a steady hand, Tanner is the guide you need to take your outdoor game to the next level.
From the dusty plains of small-town Texas emerged a hunting and archery prodigy - Tanner. At the tender age of 6, he was already acquainted with the great outdoors, spending his summers helping his father with horses, chores, and gearing up for the fall hunting seasons. As he grew older, he traded in his rifle for a bow, starting with a traditional one before eventually graduating to a compound bow.
Tanner's passion for archery and hunting led him to rub shoulders with some of the best coaches and pro shooters in the industry, including Adam Guggisberg, Michael Braden, John Dudley, Dave Cousins, Tom Clum Sr., and Joel Hunter. From chasing elk in September to hunting whitetail in winters, he has always found solace in the wild. But his love for archery took him down a new path, one that led him to become an archery instructor in his 20s - a role he continues to excel in today.
Returning to his roots as a traditional archer, Tanner feels grateful for the tutelage of Tom Clum Sr. who continually helps him peel away the layers and reach new heights as both an archer and coach. For Tanner, every day is a fresh opportunity to hone his skills, both in the field and in the art of teaching others.
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- CMM INSTRUCTOR PROGRAM CERTIFICATION
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- SAFESPORT TRAINED
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- WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER CERTIFICATE
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- LEVEL 2 ARCHERY INSTRUCTOR